Dörte "Dodo" Wolff German School 20th.Century Sepia Ink Study Cabaret Dancers Resting Circa.1930

Dörte Clara "Dodo" Wolff 1907-1998, German School 20th.Century. Cabaret Dancers Resting, sepia ink on paper, annotated in ink, 19.5 by 23.5 cms. Circa.1930. Inscription: Mensch mach dir doch nich so breit, Ich fliege ja gleich vom stengel. Roughly translates as "Hey don't take up so much space, I'm about to fall off the stem" Dörte Wolff, was a German painter and illustrator. From a middle-class Jewish background she initially gained success as a fashion designer, creating costumes for Marlene Dietrich and some notoriety during the 1920’s Weimar Republic for her fashion illustrations for Ulk magazine with her sardonic images of the glittering decadence of 1920's Berlin. With the rise of Nazism in Germany, Ulk magazine was labelled by the Nazis as “too Jewish” and was shut down in 1933. Dörte escaped Germany and emigrated to London in 1936. In her exile she illustrated children's books, designed greeting cards and worked for Paris House London. Her work had almost faded into obscurity; its art historic significance was discovered in the autumn of 2009 by Renate Krümmer, art collector and art dealer. In co-operation with Dodo's estate and Krümmer, Adelheid Rasche from the National Museums of Berlin, they curated the first monographic exhibition of her work: Dodo (1907-1998) - A Life in Pictures.